I was thinking of upgrading to the new Foreman. I will give my wife my 01 Rancher and Trade in or sell her 01 Recon. I would like more power but the big thing is the 2wd cappability.Any replies would be appreciated.

Thanks Ryan

 

My brother bought one a few months ago. The selectable 2wd/4wd is a nice option. It definately feels more powerful in 2wd, but doesn't feel that much stronger overall than my Rancher.
If you ride on trails, just remember that the Foreman is wider and it seems harder to steer than a Rancher.

Also, there is a review of a 2002 Foreman in the March issue of Dirt Wheels magazine. Good Luck...

-MD

 

I have one although it is not an ES. I have only had it out once but I like it. It does seem a little snappier in 2wd and you can bring the rear end around on a dime. My buddy and I had 99 Foremans that were dead even at any speed before and now with the new one I can pull on him just a bit at any speed. As far as the Rancher comparison in power? I ride with 2 Ranchers.... my brother and my neighbor. They both say the perfect bike would be the Rancher with more power. I say the Foreman with Ranchers nimble handling. Its a toss up in that department. I would never bad mouth a Rancher because It would be my second choice, but there is a big difference in power on the Foreman especially if you are adding power robbing tires and accessories to the mix. (which we do!) Most of my riding is in very remote and rough area. I doubt that I will use the 2wd the majority of the time though. The 2wd-4wd switch really didnt play a part in my decision to buy a new one
Good luck ...I am sure you wouldnt be dissappointed either way, keeping the Rancher or moving up! Check my pics!

 

I have 1 450ES 2002 since last october. I am reaaly satisfied. It is great in 2wd to do u-turns on an icy trail. The steering is also a lot easier in 2wd. The only thing I will change is to add a kit to imprime the suspension, which is still a bit too stiff. This will also add an extra inch or two of ground clearance. The kit should be available in a month for the 02 model.

 

The other day a friend and I went rideing on my Ranchers. He is an experienced dirtbike rider, but relatively new to quads. SO, HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY PRECONCIEVED NOTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS NOT! Throughout the day, we traded off between the 2X4 and 4X4 several times. This was mostly some real tight desert mountain (eat a Yucca if you miss a turn!) fast trail riding. With a mixture of sand, hardpack, and rocks, it's the kind of terrain that really challenges your stearing ability! At the end of the day, I asked him what he thought about the handling (especially stearing) on both bikes. He commented that he really couldn't discern a difference.

My point is, while the 2wd/4wd selectability option is certainly nice, it's importance may be overrated. Your casual recreational rider (which is the majority of riders), isn't going to notice the difference! I think I prefer the simplicity of a locked system.

 

I just added the Trax loc system to my 2001 Rubicon I like it alot it makes the machine more sporty and it is also fun to throw mud in the other guys faces! It doesnt make it any faster but it drives better on hard ground.Highly recommend it!!!!!

 

you can add traxlok on your rubicon.how much does that cost

 

douglasss, give us more details on how you added it to your rubicon.

 

I would guess he is using the kit sold by WWW.Dirtyhowies.com
It is comprised of mostly factory Honda parts. It is available on his website now for Rubicons and will be available by Feb 15 for the older Foreman and Ranchers.

 

I bought all the parts from the dealer the I work at.I think that retail on the parts is around $600.00.Plus the price of the switch if you what to use the original one.The prices are on the diff complete and the drive shaft which is from the 2002 450.